Legislative budget writers have voted to set a budget for the Idaho Transportation Department for next year that would rise by a total of 16.3 percent; ITD gets no state general funds, instead relying on federal funds and dedicated funds that come from fees and gas taxes. Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, and Rep. George Eskridge, R-Dover, who crafted the budget, said it was designed to move as much funding as possible into work on the roads, and also to give new ITD Director Brian Ness flexibility to move funds around as part of his realignment of the department. The two lawmakers said the budget includes two deputy attorneys general for ITD, approved earlier as part of the Idaho Attorney General's budget, that are expected to save the department $500,000 it's now spending for outside attorneys on construction contracts, compared to the $224,600 cost of staffing the positions. The budget doesn't include the GARVEE bonding program; the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee is expected to consider that budget on Wednesday.

The budget approved by the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee is higher than Gov. Butch Otter's recommendation; he called for a 5 percent increase. But the difference largely comes because of different treatment of $54.5 million in federal stimulus money that's being carried over from this year; Otter also wanted the carry-over, but the approved budget makes it a specific appropration, which changes the bottom-line numbers. Without that change, the budget reflects a 5 percent increase, the same as Otter recommended. The budget is identical to Otter's on staffing, with an overall increase of just one position from this year. The approved plan includes cutting four positions from ITD's planning division and shifting them to the highway operations division, to help operate the new transportation asset management system, a reform that grew out of last year's legislative audit of ITD.

The budget was split into five motions; all drew unanimous approval from JFAC except the budget for highway operations. Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, said she's concerned that fees charged for permits to move extra-large megaloads on Idaho roads aren't covering the department's costs, and said those fees should be addressed; she voted against the highway operations portion of the budget.